TOUR DE FRANCE 2010

ARENBERG COBBLED STAGE & CAMBRAI START
With or Without Bikes

Monday 5th to Wednesday 7th July 2010

This tour is designed for those people who don’t have the time to spend 10 days or 2 weeks following the Tour de France but want to see one of the most exciting stages of the 2010 Tour de France. On this tour you will see stage the cobbled stage that finishes outside the Arenberg Forest, followed by next day´s stage start in Cambrai.

Transport will be by luxury coach from the UK, making collections at Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, London and service stations on the motorway networks used en route to Dover. We shall take the ferry from Dover to Calais and spend 3 nights on B&B at the 3* Novotel in the centre of Lille.

Apart from seeing the stages of the Tour de France, you will be able to ride a number of cobbled sections that feature in the Paris Roubaix classic, as well as visiting the Roubaix velodrome and the famous showers.

Monday 5th July:
Our bike carrying coach will make collections at Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, London and service stations on the motorway networks used en route to Dover, for an afternoon sailing to Calais and early evening arrival in the city of Lille, where we shall spend 3 nights B&B at the excellent 3* Hotel Novotel.

Tuesday 6th July:
Apart from the mountains of the Alps & Pyrenees, today´s stage from Wanze in Belgium to the famous Arenberg Forest in France is one of the most talked about stages of the 2010 Tour de France. Why?
Well, the stage takes in numerous cobbled sections that feature in the classic Paris Roubaix…… Cobblestones haven’t been negotiated on the Tour since 2004. There will be 7 cobbled sectors over a total of 13,2 kilometers, including the Haveluy sector, only ten kilometers from the stage finish. The finish line will be located at the entrance to the notorious Arenberg Forest, the legendary backdrop to Paris-Roubaix.

Prior to seeing the stage, we shall visit the Roubaix Velodrome, and those with bikes will be able to ride some of the cobbled sections that feature in the Paris Roubaix classic, including the Arenberg Forest.

We shall see the stage at one of the cobbled sections, possibly the last sector in Haveluy which comes 10km from the finish.

After seeing the stage we shall return to the hotel in Lille.

Wednesday 7th July:
Today the riders start from the town of Cambrai, a famous battle site of World War I & II, but the riders of the Tour de France maybe nursing other battle scars after yesterdays treacherous stage across the cobbles. At 150km, it is the shortest road stage of this years tour and finishes in Reims, Champagne capital of France.
After breakfast we shall leave Lille and travel to Cambrai, where you´ll see the stage start. Here you´ll see the riders arrive, sign on, and start the stage.
After seeing the stage start, we shall rejoin the bus and commence our journey back to the UK. We shall take the 17.00hrs sailing from Calais to Dover, arriving London 21.00hrs, Birmingham 23.00hrs, Manchester 01.00hrs Friday, and Leeds by 02.00hrs Friday.

Home